Chapter 84
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: The First Member of the Pride
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Today was the day to film the scene where Grand Prince Seongnyeong and Grand Prince Chungnyeong were playing with bows and arrows.
In case the two grand princes were injured, Royal Physician Heo Yuseon was on standby to provide immediate treatment if needed.
Waiting for the set to be ready, Park Dohun and Seojun sat in their chairs.
It felt good to be outside after filming only on set. The weather had warmed up considerably, and the sunlight was pleasantly warm. Seojun hummed as he rummaged through his bag.
“Hyung. Want some?”
Seojun took out a snack from his bag and offered it to Park Dohun. It was chocolate he had made with his mom and dad. Park Dohun reached for the slightly clumsily wrapped chocolate.
“Thanks.”
“Hehe.”
Seojun unwrapped one for himself and popped it into his mouth. The sweet chocolate made him feel even better. Park Dohun smiled too.
For some reason, it seemed like Park Dohun’s guard had lowered a bit.
‘No, rather than his guard, maybe he’s just more at ease.’
Seojun glanced at Park Dohun. Usually, he was so focused on his script that he couldn't pay attention to his surroundings, but when he was with Seojun, he would take a moment to breathe.
Seojun had been watching Dohun Hyung’s filming, and he seemed to be a perfectionist. He wasn't quite on the level of Evan Block, who calculated every eyebrow twitch, but Seojun thought he might become that way as he got older.
‘They’re similar, but the differences are more important.’
Evan Block had confidence. The confidence that his calculated acting would be perfect. Even when monitoring his performance after a take, he would look for ‘a better way’ but never thought his acting was wrong.
One might think that was wrong, but Evan explained it was something different. Seojun just nodded along, figuring that was just how it was.
But now, he thought he understood.
In that short time, Park Dohun’s brief moment of ease had vanished. He flipped through his script. Like Evan Block’s, it was black with various stage directions. It was covered with sticky notes and marked with pens of different colors.
Park Dohun anxiously read the lines for today’s scene.
Park Dohun lacked confidence. Even after a great performance, he couldn't acknowledge it. Everyone said it was fine, but he strived to find the ‘wrong parts.’ Then he would correct his acting. The re-shot scene was good.
‘The process and result are the same as Evan’s, but it’s so different.’
Park Dohun’s faith in his own acting was weak. He was different from the self-assured Evan Block. He was always anxious, reading the script, acting, and then sighing again. It was as if he were being chased by something.
“Dohun Hyung. You’re a good actor.”
“You think so?”
If it had been Director Ryan, Swalin Anem, or Evan Block, they might have offered some great advice and counsel.
But no matter how much he thought about it, Seojun couldn’t come up with any advice for Park Dohun. His many past lives weren’t much help. He had lived too instinctively to deal with such delicate concerns.
‘Besides, Samchon Jongho and Jiseok Hyung must have given him plenty of advice.’
So, whenever Seojun met Park Dohun, he would shower him with praise, telling him he was doing great. They say praise can even make a whale dance.
Today’s filming was good in this way, that way, and after a barrage of compliments, Park Dohun’s anxious face would relax a little.
*Hoo.* After a sigh, Park Dohun opened his mouth.
“I was a child actor, you know.”
“I see.”
Unlike Seojun, who simply nodded, Lee Jiseok, who had been quietly approaching to surprise the two actors, looked at Park Dohun in shock.
“My face has changed a lot since I was little, so a lot of people don’t recognize me. If you look closely, you can still see traces of it.”
After eating the chocolate Seojun had given him, Park Dohun continued.
“When I was young, I played the child version of a character named Jungwoo. It was also a historical drama.”
“Ah. I know that one. I’ve seen it.”
“Whether it was because there were no other child actors as good as me at the time, or the other actors were bad, or maybe the character Jungwoo was just a perfect fit for me. There were many reasons, but I did an amazing job. But I didn’t do so well in the roles I took after that.”
Lee Jiseok interjected into the two actors’ conversation.
“That’s just what you think. Dohun was great. It’s hard for a kid with no acting experience to take on a character with a completely different image. Considering that, he did very well. …The problem was that the movie was a total flop.”
Hearing the movie’s title, Seojun shook his head. He hadn’t seen it. At Lee Jiseok’s words, Park Dohun smiled faintly. Many people had tried to help him.
“The actors and the director in the movie heard a lot of, um, bad things. I was one of them. After that, I developed a compulsion. To be more perfect, a better fit. I started to analyze characters in detail, paying attention to every little thing, down to my fingertips and toes.”
Kim Jongho, who had acted alongside Park Dohun, didn’t just stand by and watch the actor fall apart. He introduced him to various actors and helped him gain different experiences. Lee Jiseok had also met Park Dohun through Kim Jongho’s introduction.
Park Dohun’s acting was brilliant. Seojun remembered the solemn figure of King Sejong at the coronation.
He recalled King Sejong at the funeral. He was such a perfect fit that Producer Choi Minsung and Writer So Eunjin had sent him a love call.
Park Dohun held the script in one hand, his face still anxious. But once filming began, he would become perfectly fine, as if nothing had happened.
But was that really being fine?
Lee Jiseok’s expression was also troubled, as if he shared Seojun’s thoughts. It was truly a shame that he was the only one who couldn't acknowledge his own acting, which everyone else praised.
“This is the first time I’m telling someone else this story. For some reason, I feel at ease when I’m with you, Seojun.”
At Park Dohun’s words, Seojun felt a sense of responsibility. He felt like he had to take care of his hyung, who was more than ten years older than him. Why?
“We’ll start filming!”
There was no time to get lost in thought; filming began.
The staff cleared the set, and Seojun took a deep breath, tapping the wall twice with his finger.
[(Good) Dignity of the Young Lion King is activated.]
***
As the filming of *Naeuiwon* continued, Seojun’s praises poured in. For a moment, Park Dohun gained confidence from Seojun’s compliments, but then a doubt crept in.
Hearing that he was doing too well made him think cynically. *Is he really praising me because I’m good? Or is he lying for my sake?*
Seojun, who had come to watch after school today, waved his hand. Park Dohun waved back.
It had been a month since the filming of *Naeuiwon* began. Dohun Hyung, who used to offer only curt greetings, now waved back. Realizing the change, Seojun smiled brightly.
Seeing Seojun’s wide smile made him think about it even more. Would Seojun still praise him even if his acting wasn’t good? Like a teenager going through a rebellious phase, Park Dohun entered the scene with a contrary attitude.
“Cut! NG!”
At Producer Choi’s voice, everyone moved. A single NG wasn't a big deal. Everyone prepared for the retake without much thought. Watching Park Dohun come off the set, Producer Choi Minsung commented casually.
“Um. Dohun-ssi. Could you make it a bit more natural? It felt a little exaggerated just now.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
No one paid much attention, but that very reaction jolted Park Dohun to his senses. He screamed internally, rubbing his dry face. He felt like a child causing trouble to get his parents’ attention. He had really done it this time.
Seojun’s gaze on his back felt sharp. He wanted to ignore it, but his feet were already moving toward Seojun on their own.
Seojun was conflicted. Should he always praise an actor with a difficult past? But the last take was really, truly, not good. He could tell that Dohun Hyung hadn’t been trying.
“……”
Silence fell between them. Seojun debated whether to praise him or not, while Park Dohun was on pins and needles. *Why? Why am I getting so anxious waiting for the words of a ten-year-old kid?* He couldn’t understand it.
“Dohun Hyung.”
“Yeah?”
“Do the next take properly.”
“…Alright. I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry to me for. The crew are the ones putting in the hard work. A mistake is one thing, but what you did just now was intentional, wasn't it?”
It was true, so he had nothing to say. Crestfallen by Seojun’s words, Park Dohun filmed again and got an “OK” in one take. He also decided to treat the crew to a meal.
“The second time was good.”
Seojun said, eating the grilled pork belly Park Dohun had cooked for him. Park Dohun smiled at Seojun, who still didn't stop his praise. An Daho had stepped away for a moment, leaving only the two of them at the table.
Today’s incident proved that Seojun’s previous compliments hadn’t been lies. Seojun had genuinely praised Park Dohun because he was doing well.
Only then did Park Dohun finally open up about what he had been hiding for three weeks. Listening to the story, Seojun looked at Park Dohun in astonishment.
“You’ve been watching that this whole time?”
“Yeah. I wanted to see if there was anything I could learn, so I asked Producer Choi for it. I’m being careful not to let it leak.”
Park Dohun took out a phone from deep inside his bag. On it was a video of the scene where Grand Prince Seongnyeong and Heo Yuseon first met. It was a clip filmed three weeks ago.
“At first, I just felt self-reproach, thinking, ‘Why can’t I act like that?’ But as I kept watching, I started to feel more at ease. It felt like I could lean on it.”
“Lean on it?”
“Yeah. I only realize it now, but back then, I wasn’t listening to anyone. Not Samchon Jongho, not Jiseok Hyung. They said I was great, that I was doing well, but it didn’t feel sincere. I just thought I had to try harder, do better.”
Seojun listened intently to Park Dohun’s words. Sensing Seojun’s attitude, Park Dohun continued his story comfortably.
“But as I kept watching that video, I found myself relying on the Grand Prince Seongnyeong in it. He’s just smiling, but the atmosphere he gives off made me unconsciously confess my worries. Isn’t that strange? Even when you were filming, Seojun, I sometimes felt that same feeling, and it put my mind at ease.”
Seojun had also been wondering why he felt an inexplicable sense of responsibility towards Park Dohun. *Hmm.* Now he thought he understood. Why he felt a faint sense of responsibility whenever he saw Dohun Hyung.
‘It’s because of my ability.’
It was the effect of [(Good) Dignity of the Young Lion King]. For ordinary people, it would just be a princely dignity as Seojun intended, but for Park Dohun, whose mind was very fragile, it had a much greater effect.
‘And it wasn’t just once or twice. A perfectionist like Dohun Hyung must have watched it a lot.’
“Hyung, how often did you watch it?”
“Because your acting was so amazing. I really wanted to learn from it,”
Park Dohun said, giving his reason first as if embarrassed, before answering.
“I watched it whenever I had time.”
“Wow.”
In short, Park Dohun had become a member of the pride that Seojun ruled.
Park Dohun, a member of the pride, leaned on Seojun, and Seojun, the king of the pride, had a responsibility to care for him.
‘I never thought [(Good) Dignity of the Young Lion King] had this kind of effect.’
It wasn't even written in the notification window.
It seemed like a coincidence meeting another coincidence had produced this effect. How many emotionally vulnerable people would watch Seojun’s video every chance they got and constantly hear his praise?
“That was the beginning.”
A person with a weak heart needed someone to lean on. Until now, Park Dohun hadn't found such a person. That’s why he had pushed himself even harder.
It was then that [(Good) Dignity of the Young Lion King] had a huge impact on Park Dohun. Just as people seek God when inexplicable things happen, Park Dohun found himself unconsciously relying on Grand Prince Seongnyeong, overwhelmed by his dignity.
Seojun's praises, which poured out every time they met for Park Dohun's sake, also played a significant role at the perfect time. Just as a parent's praise is best for a child, nothing is more empowering than the praise of a being one relies on.
Seojun’s praise was like rain on Park Dohun’s barren heart. Thanks to that rain, Park Dohun found some breathing room, and his acting improved. With his improved acting, Park Dohun was able to find a little bit of confidence.
“Now, I can even hear what Samchon Jongho and Jiseok Hyung are saying.”
He was still anxious, of course. But there was hope. He felt like he was beginning to understand what it meant to believe in his own acting.
Seeing Park Dohun’s more relaxed face, Seojun smiled brightly.
“That’s great!”
“I think so, too.”
The ‘Young Lion King’s Pride,’ formed by just Seojun and Park Dohun, would not last long.
Because as Park Dohun’s mental strength grew, he would naturally break free from the effect of the dignity he felt from Seojun.
“I’m really grateful. Seojun.”
Park Dohun would never forget the child who came to his set for weeks to praise him. At Park Dohun’s sincere words, Seojun beamed.
[(Good) Dignity of the Young Lion King is transforming.]
The roaring lion crest on the back of his hand shimmered.
[(Good) Dignity of the Young Lion King - Low Grade]
You have ascended to the throne of the Lion King at a young age.
To lead the pride, only your dignity among many abilities has increased.
You can form a pride when conditions are met. (1/1)
The abilities of the pride members increase.
Conditions: Weak mentality, met over 30 times, praised over 10 times
Activation: Tapping twice with a finger
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